It is not easy in the present materialist world to confess that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God.
The world thinks that the God concept is a delusion and it has only a ‘feel good’ effect on people. There are people who suppose that the advancement of knowledge in the fields of science and psychology can explain everything in this universe. Stephen Hawking, in his final book “Brief Answer to Big Questions”, describes that there is no need of God to explain the universe. He argues “If you accept, as I do, that the laws of nature are fixed, then it doesn’t take long to ask: What role is there for God?”
Pope Benedict responding to such theories said, “Scientists do not create the world; they learn about it and attempt to imitate it.” Here I am not trying to debate for or against the idea of God but, rather give a snap shot of an environment which is antithetical to ‘god existence’. It is not easy for a young university student to practice his or her faith well, without being ridiculed or looked down upon. In this background of today’s ultra-liberalistic atheist culture, the question that Jesus asks in today’s Gospel passage “who do you say that I am” is quite compelling.
The response to this question of Jesus should come from our hearts. We may be able to parrot an answer as good as St. Peter’s response. The answer, with conviction, makes a difference in the way we live our faith. We will accompany Jesus all through His life. We will be there to witness Him when He transfigures on Mount Tabor and we will accompany Him when he is tried in Gethsemane. We will stand by Him at the cross and we will rejoice at his resurrection. We will certainly be part of the Pentecost and then proclaim Him to the ends of the earth.
It is only through the gift of the Holy Spirit that we can truly confess that Jesus is Lord (1 Cor 12:3). That same Spirit will help us live by our profession.
-Fr. Ranjan D’Sa OCD